Eagles unable to overcome errors in loss
Despite a quick start offensively, the Etowah Eagles fell victim to their early struggles on the mound and in the field, as the Class AAAAA No. 1 state-ranked and No. 11 nationally-ranked Roswell Hornets took advantage of three errors and five walks by the Eagles to score seven runs in the first three innings and held on for a 7-4 victory, March 9 in Roswell.
Sixth-ranked Etowah (3-1) got the night started off right with a three-run top to of the first, as Connor Gilbert plated Chris Vermilya with a sacrifice fly to center and Nick Singleton ripped a two-run triple, scoring Gilbert and courtesy runner Taylor Majors, running for catcher Zach Waters, who had singled.
The Eagles’ bats, however, went relatively quiet after the first, while the Hornets (6-0) scored four runs on no hits, three walks, two hit batsmen and two errors in the bottom of the first, added one run on two hits and an error in the second, and pushed two more runs across the plate in the third on two hits and a pair of walks.
Chasing Zane Evans (four hits, three earned runs, two walks), the Hornets’ No. 2 starter and a Georgia Tech signee as a catcher, from the game after three innings, Etowah put one more run on the board in the fourth, thanks to two Roswell errors. But University of North Carolina-bound ace Andrew Smith went on to shut the Eagles down, allowing just one hit and striking out five in four innings of work.
Jacob Caffee finished the night 2-for-4 with a double and a steal, and Singleton went 2-for-3 with the two-run triple and was hit by a pitch.
Combining to toss the final three innings for Etowah, Steven Lameier threw a scoreless fourth, and Vermilya went two innings, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk and five strikeouts.
• • •
CHS falls to Allatoona
Dylan Haynes went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, and fellow junior Zach Brigham collected a pair of hits, including a double, and scored a run, but it was not quite enough, as the Cherokee Warriors lost a 9-4 decision to Allatoona, March 9.
Adding to Cherokee’s (0-5) output, senior Josh Lemons had a hit, a run and a steal; sophomore Josh Thomas had a hit and drove in a run; and freshman Zack Lemons finished 1-for-2 with a run and two stolen bases.
• • •
BOYS GOLF
Albertson leads Etowah
With four players out while attending prom, the Etowah Eagles took fifth place at the BridgeMill Tournament, Saturday at the BridgeMill Golf Club in Canton.
Junior Anders Albertson earned low medalist honors, shooting a 69, while teammates Zach Forbes (83), Adam Cross, Trenton Sanders, Jake Forbes and Jason Hammeker completed the Eagles’ scorecard.
